- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
- 10 MP
- 3.8x f/2.0
- 1/1.6" CCD
- 3" LCD
#1 in Panasonic digicams
Released July, 2010
Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Sep, 2010)[4:3]VGA: 640 x 480 pixels, 30fps (Motion JPEG) / QVGA: 320 x 240 pixels, 30 fps (Motion JPEG) / [16:9]WVGA: 848 x 480 pixels, 30 fps (Motion JPEG) / [HD Movie]1280x720 pixels, / NTSC Mode: NTSC model: 60p(CCD output is 30p) / PAL model: 50p(CCD output is 25p) / (AVCHD Lite, SH: 17Mbps / H:13Mbps / L:9Mbps ) / 30fps (Motion JPEG).
Conclusion Check out the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
10 MP
1/1.6"
megapixels
| 0 MP | 16 MP    | 20 MP |
Lumix DMC-LX5 by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)The level of detail is outstanding, even though the 90mm-equivalent focal length doesn't zoom in quite as far as most other compacts.
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Photography Blog (Sep, 2010)All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 10 megapixel SuperFine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 4Mb.
sensor size
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Jaganath (Dec, 2011)Pictures are awesome and almost up there with quality with micro four thirds.
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Don-Fouts (Jan, 2011)It has a pretty big sensor (remember "for non techy people" the Sensor size is MUCH more important that what ever MP number it has).
wide angle lens
Lumix DMC-LX5 by James-P.-Garin (Feb, 2011)The LX-5 is between the S and G in size, but it is a very different camera.24mm wide angle....longer zoom range than the S series.
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Kebs (Jun, 2011)Wide-angle is fantastic - After using Tamron 28-75 for so many years, I have found a whole new dimension in wide-angle photo-framing using LX5.
aperture size
Lumix DMC-LX5 by John-CosenzaRather than posting more images showing how sharp the lens is (and it is a beautiful, fast lens), I'm intentionally uploading photos taken in low light-ISO up to 1600, handheld as slow as 1/4 second-with wedding photography, it's not just about razor sharpness (at least it wasn't with this couple-they loved the pictures).
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Traveler14649 (Dec, 2011)The good: Fantastic photo quality and a lot of control over the exposure - you can control by aperture, shutter speed, increase or decrease the exposure,etc..
zoom range
| 0x | 10x   | 10x |
Lumix DMC-LX5 by David-J.-Peebler--DJPeebz (Nov, 2010)As a Canon user, I immediately found the LX5 controls to be fully intuitive, although I must admit I'm still learning ALL of the menu controls as I crave manual control and creative flexibility!
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Coronet-Blue (May, 2011)The lens is also quite good for a zoom that goes from wide angle to short telephoto.
body size
110 x 66 x 43 mm
119 x 73 x 51 mm
109 x 60 x 27 mm
Lumix DMC-LX5 by J.-Wang (Oct, 2010)These pro-compact cameras have the best overall design that offers the widest range of application, versatility, and user-friendliness.
Lumix DMC-LX5 by L.-Debiasi (Dec, 2011)It's too thick to fit into a pocket, but with the neck strap, it's still very easy to carry around.
Performance Real world tests of Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
shutter lag
battery life
400 photos
310 photos
320 photos
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Soured-Customer--Soured-Customer (Dec, 2010)It's much much faster (what's the point of having a camera if you miss the shot because the camera doesn't react in time), the low light ability is far superior, the macro is wonderful, it can zoom while recording video, and the battery life is excellent.
Lumix DMC-LX5 by I.-Pribadi (Oct, 2010)My bottom line advice is your personal priorities will determine which camera fits you best but please still consider the whole package: size, weight, ergonomics, menu system, AF lag times, RAW write times, battery life, possible accessories, etc..
max continuous shooting
Lumix DMC-LX5 by rd-in-sf (Sep, 2010)On the LX-5, I can only shoot 3 shots on a burst and then I have to wait until it finishes before I shoot again.
DxOMark low light performance
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Cam (Apr, 2012)Pictures are crisp, it takes good photos in low light and has plenty of manual settings.
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Shaer (Sep, 2010)Colors are beautiful and there are so many modes for colors(If I can call them so)...Propably that is a reason why some people are not 100% satisfied with the pic quality...An example if you choose VIVD mode for indoor pictures...Most pictures will come out dark so you will not like them...And the camera will remember the color mode and it's easily to foreget to adjust it at the beginning...Keep that in mind.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
HD video -
Generic -
24 mm -
89.43% -
400 -
310 ms -
10 mm -
1/4000 s
cons
-
41.0 -
1/1.6" -
HD video -
460 k dots -
7.2 fps -
Jul, 2010 -
19.6 bits -
10.8 ev -
2,300 ms -
10 MP -
The screen is fixed in place -
132 ISO -
No automatic HDR -
No automatic stitching -
Won't have that film look
Reviews Word on the street
 |  
|
|---|---|
 |
|
 | Rated by 378 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by D.-Eilenberger (Jan, 2011) Rated 100% by by R.-Wallace (Dec, 2011) Rated 100% by by Matthew (Dec, 2011) |
Lens
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Design49er (Jun, 2011)My old standard were Nikon lenses I loved shooting with, the 24mm f/2.8, 55mm f/3.5 macro and the 105mm f/2.8 short telephoto were iconic lenses known for their sharpness.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 80% by by hiker (Feb, 2011)I've used it on several hikes now and I can say that the images are very sharp but there's a slight distortion when in wide angle mode.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 80% by by Lawrence-B.-Jones (Mar, 2011)The 24 to 90mm zoom range is very practical and the macro focusing switch offers true macro capability through the zoom range.
Image quality
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Gustavo-Peqa (Nov, 2010)Image quality if great, vivid colors, the 2.0 aperture makes a huge difference when shooting in low light.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 80% by by Scott-Fisher (Dec, 2011)The main thing to love about the camera is the image quality for the fairly small size.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Nicole-Yates (Mar, 2011)The images are clear, crisp, and the color quality is outstanding.
Sensor
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Brian (Feb, 2012)The RAW files that come out of this camera are amazing at low ISO and are very close to entry level dSLR cameras.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Sincerely-YoursHow did we find the RAW functionality: great for this very protable camera this size and the output was pretty awesome.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 80% by by M.-ErbI'm continually amazed by the quality of photos that the camera produces, particularly in RAW mode.
Video
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Charles-J.-Hampton-snow (Dec, 2010)The reasons to buy this camera are the wide lens ,the ease of use, the quality of the photos AND video ,and the many choices it gives you from Raw ,fully manual to fully auto shooting plus incredible macro.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by ijcastThe MPEG2 videos look just as sharp and vibrant as the AVCHD videos they originated from.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by S.-Duford (Jan, 2011)It also shoots surprisingly good HD video!
Photography
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Richard-DeMuth (Nov, 2010)This is just the perfect camera for the person who is looking for quality in his/her prints.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Anthony-Ruggeri--hard-to-pin-down (Nov, 2010)I'm mainly shooting landscapes and static subjects, so the range is perfect.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 80% by by Travis-B.-Truman (Jul, 2011)I've been using it to shoot mainly street photography at 28/35mm in manual focus, ISO 400, aperture priority and typically shooting from the hip.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Fujifilm X-E1 Largest sensor Fujifilm X-E1 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 |
 | 2 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark DMC-GX1 vs DMC-LX5 |
 | 3 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 Fastest lens DMC-LX7 vs DMC-LX5 |
 | 4 | Nikon Coolpix P7700 Sensor with the most color depth Nikon Coolpix P7700 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 |
 | 5 | Canon PowerShot G15 Highest resolution screen Canon PowerShot G15 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 |
 | 6 | Olympus XZ-1 5-way tie: Best macro lens Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 |
 | 7 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 Smallest DMC-LX3 vs DMC-LX5 |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
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